talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan ‘doesn’t blame’ Erik ten Hag for refusing to answer some journalists’ questions about Manchester United.
As The Telegraph reports, Ten Hag’s decision became apparent during his press conference following their 4-2 win over Sheffield United.
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The Dutchman reportedly found some reports about his future at the club “disrespectful” amid criticism of his performance in their FA Cup semi-final win over Coventry City.
United had already banned journalists from attending a conference and those who had upset Ten Hag this time had not been given the chance to ask him questions after Sheffield.
The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has told talkSPORT that some opinions expressed during the Coventry clash, in which they blew a 3-0 lead, “crossed the line” and were the reason for his decision.
Then speaking about White and Jordan, Jim White suggested to Jordan that reporters could only ask Ten Hag questions if he liked the way they were asked.
However, the former Crystal Palace owner disagreed and said: “No, I don’t think that’s a fair description, Jim. I think the media and certain sections of the media do not have a divine right to ask certain questions. or have the opportunity to ask certain questions, and the narratives are created by the media.
“Do I think it’s advisable to shut them down so they can be even more vehement in their condemnation of you? Maybe not. But I had this problem, I had this problem when Simon Greenberg was editor of the Evening Standard, and he went on to become head of communications for Chelsea, telling me about my football club.
“So I banned him because I was fed up with their behavior. I remember seeing Alan Sugar struggling with the press about the fight between him and him. [Terry] Venables, and him and potentially George Graham.
“Because certain sections of the press, the Mail and Jeff Powell, were very friendly to certain people and created a narrative. Look at Todd Boehly, look at the media narrative around Todd Boehly and the fact that he’s ‘an American idiot who doesn’t know.’ what he does” and he will carry that with him for a while.
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“So the stories are created by the newspapers, so I understand why you would say, ‘I tell you what, if that’s how you want to play this game, if you want to paraphrase words and stick ’embarrassing’ in front of me and If you’re asking me to bite out the word “embarrassing” so you can make headlines about it, then you’re not a journalist I particularly want to talk to.
“It reminds the press that they don’t have a God given right, if the press had their way they would pick the England team, they would pick the England manager, they would tell you what is wrong in society without providing any solution.
“So I agree with him, but I try to put myself in that position and I say to myself, ‘Would I let a dirty, sassy reporter try to create a situation with me where I couldn’t deal with him? ‘
“And gave him such a level of power that he felt like he was being left out because it was so important. But that’s me, not a huge PR machine like Manchester United.”
White then asked what that’s for, and Jordan responded, “To remind the press…because I remember, again using Simon Greenberg as an example, he told me that results and performance of Crystal Palace were often shaped by” reports the newspaper.
“For this I almost spit my mannequin across the room because in reality you report the results that we do, you are nothing, you are bullshit that has everything to do with the result. It reminds the press that it is a cog in the wheel, that they are part of the equation, they are not the equation.
“And so when they express opinions in advance, what the press writes, like all of us and we sit here the same, is an opinion, it’s not a fact. So if you don’t want to deal to certain segments of the press because you don’t want to, you don’t have to explain to them, they are there by consent, not by right.
“So I don’t blame him for doing it because I think they crossed the line, I think they crossed the line trying to force Ten Hag to talk about the embarrassment he had to feel about this performance.
“Because by the time he realizes it, the back pages of the newspapers would say: ‘Manchester United manager says players are embarrassing.'”
